Screw stopper for receptacles



0 S. H. WILLIAMS SCREW STOPPE R FOR RECEPTACLES Feb. 7, 1939.

. Filed 001;. 19, 1957 Inverzloa? .S'. H W/LU/i M5, 8), WW4, 4*

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Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES SCREW STOPPER- Stanley HutchcroftWilliams, London, England Application October 19, 1937, Serial No.169,877 In Great Britain July 3, 1937 3 Claims.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to screw stoppers forreceptacles of the type requiring to be tightly closed against theescape through the closed stopper of vapour *5 or gas evolved from thecontents of the receptacles; for example and more particularly theinvention relates to screw stoppers for receptacles for the package ofether and like highly volatile liquids.

.The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction ofscrew stopper for receptacles of the type referred to, which will becharacterized by a high order of efiiciency as regards vapor orair-tightness and at the same time will incorporate a simple andconvenient form of dispensing means for the contents of the receptacle.

A form of screw Stopper for receptacles of the type referred to above isknown which comprises a screwed neck constituting the body of thestopper, a correspondingly screwed closure cap for the neck and a rigidsoft-metal sealing element arranged to be interposed between the cap andthe neck and to be clamped gas-tightly by the cap through theintermediary of a clamping element intervening between the sealingelement and the cap, on ma seating provided to receive it on the neck,the sealing element being in the form of a hollow cup-like cone disposedwith its axis parallel to the neck, the seating for the element andsimilarly the clamping element therefor being of conical form tocorrespond with the conicity of the sealing element, whereby theclamping element, the sealing element and the seating therefor allsnugly interfit within one another when the stopper is in closedcondition, and the sealing element and the clamping element both beingseparate entities in the sense of being devoid of connection either withone another or with the stopper body on the one hand and the closure capon the other. The cup-like cone constituting the sealing element may,for example, be composed of lead and may be disposed in the stopper withthe open end or base outermost with respect to the interior of thereceptacle. It is found that a stopper of this construction is highlyeffective for the purposes of prevention of escape through the closedstopper of vapour or gas evolved from ether or a like highly volatileliquid contained in a receptacle fitted with the stopper and on accountof the conical form of the sealing element and the correspondingconicity of the seating therefor on the one hand and of the clampingelement on the other, these parts are rendered self-centering PATENTOFFICE FOR RECEPTACLES relatively to one another in the operation ofeffecting closure of the stopper whereby the full efficiency of thestopper is assured.

The present invention relates to screw stoppers of this known class, butwhereas with the known stoppers the construction has been one in whichno means are provided for dispensing the ether or other contents of thereceptacle fitted with the stopper, the improved stopper according tothe present invention incorporates such means in the form of adispensing nozzle carried upon the clamping element and projectingtherefrom through an opening provided to receive it in the crown of thecap, the bore of the said nozzle extending also through the clampingelement so that by insertion of a pointed instrument through the bore,the soft-metal cone constituting the sealing element of the stopper maybe pierced for the dispensing through the nozzle of the ether or thelike liquid content of the receptacle and the nozzle being preferablyfitted, moreover, with a gas or vapour-tight closure cap whereby the gasor vapour-tight closure of the receptacle may again be effected after ause of the dispensing means.

With this improved construction of stopper in accordance with thepresent invention, it is possible where desired or necessary to dispensewith the need for unscrewing the cap of the stopper once it has beenscrewed hard home to eiTect the initial closure of the receptacle, thatis, in cases where it is not required to empty the receptacle in asingle gross pouring out operation but on the contrary to dispense theether or the like directly from the receptacle; in this event all thatis requisite is to remove the closure cap from the dispensing nozzle,pierce the sealing element by inserting a pointed instrument through thebore of the nozzle and effect the dispensing of the liquid therethroughwith replacement, after thenecessary quantity of liquid has beendispensed through the nozzle, of the closure cap therefor.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a convenient and preferredembodiment of the invention by way of example. g In the drawing,

Figure 1 is an external side elevation of the improved stopper of theinvention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal central section v 7 through the stopper;Figure 3 is a plan of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an exploded view showing the component parts of the stopperin the order in which they are assembled on the receptacle.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the various figures.

The stopper comprises a screwed neck I, a screwed closure cap 2, ahollow conical lead sealing element 3 seated on a conical seating 4provided to receive it at the outer end of the throughway of the neck Iand a loose clamping element 5 of corresponding conicity to the seating4 but of inverted relationship thereto so as to co-operate withsaidseating 4 in gas-tightly clamping the cone 3 in position between theneck I and the cap 2, the element 5 intervening be: tween these partsand transmitting the thrust from the underside of the cap- 2 to the coneinposition upon the seating 4.

Projecting from the crown of the clamping element 5 and extendingtherefrom through the crown of the cap 2 is a tubular extension 6 constituting in accordance with the present invention a dispensing nozzlefor the contents of the receptacle fitted with the stopper. This nozzle,the bore of which extends as shown through the body of the clampingelement to the apex or point thereof and which may if desired be shorterthan the length in which it appears in the drawing, so asv not toproject so far from the crown of the cap 2, or if preferred, longer, isprovided with a closure cap I screwed on to the end of it andincorporating a lead washer 8 against which the preferably reducedextremity of the nozzle bears with a gas-tight sealing fit when the capI isscrewed firmly home on the nozzle.

The opening in the crown of the cap 2 through which the nozzle 6 extendsis at the centre of the cap and is coaxial with the cap. The cap is inturn coaxial with the sealing and clamping elements 3, 5 and the crownof the clamping element is spherical as shown. Consequently, the cap 2is caused to bear upon the clamping element along a surface ofengagement which is circular and concentric with thesealing element,theclampingelement and the conical seating surface 4 of the neck I and inthe result the parts are all mutually self-aligning under the thrust ofthe cap 2.

In the crown of the cap 2 is a slot 9 for the purpose of enabling thecap to be screwed hard home or to be readily loosened for removal fromthe neck when-required, with the. aid of a turning tool of the nature ofascrewedriver forked at the end to accommodate the nozzle 6. If de-.sired, instead of slotting the cap for this purpose, it may be formedwith peripheral flats for engagement with a spanner or the like.

The neck I, clamping element 5,"nozzle 6,.cap 2 and cap I of the stoppermay be composed of any suitable hard and preferably non-corrodible metalsuch for-instance as brass, and the sealing element 3 may be composed ofany suitable soft metal such for example as lead.

The washer 8 may similarly be composed of any suitable material for thepurpose, for example leather, rubber or lead as already referred to, butlead or a like soft metal is preferred as it tends to give a moreeflicient seal.

Separate dispensers for receptacles for the package of ether and likehighly volatile liquids are already known, to be fitted on to the neckofthe stopper of the receptacle after the closure cap thereof has beenremoved. Such sep- I arate dispensers, however, are disadvantageous inthat their use involves the exposure of the volatile content of thereceptacle to the external atmosphere in the operation of fitting on thedispenser. per of the present invention, this drawback is obviated, for,as stated, it is unnecessary therewith to remove the main closure cap ofthe stopper in order to bring the dispenser into use; all that isnecessary is to remove the small stopper from the end of the dispenserand then pierce the sealing element within.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:-

With the improved dispensing stop-.

l. A screw stopper for receptacles for the package of ether and likevolatile substances, comprising-incombination a screwed neck, acorrespondingly screwed closure cap therefor, a rigid soft-metal sealingelement in the form of a hollow cone arranged to'be clamped gas-tightlyby the cap through the intermediary of a clamping in the crown of thecap, the bore of the nozzle extending also through the clamping elementso that by insertion of a pointed instrument through the bore, thesealing element may be pierced.

2. A screw stopper for receptacles for the package of ether and likevolatile substances, comprising in combination a screwed neck, acorrespondingly screwed closure captherefor, a rigid soft-metal sealingelement in the form of a hollow cone arranged to be clamped gas-tightlyby the cap through the intermediary of a clamping element also ofconical form on to a conicalseating on the neck, the clampingeleinentand sealing 'elementbeing separate entitiesfrom one another and alsofrom the neck on the one hand and the cap on the other, a dispensingnozzle carried upon the clamping element and projecting therefrom (whenthe parts of the stopper are in ,assembled position) through an openingin the crown of the cap, the bore of the nozzle extending also throughthe clamping element so that by insertion of a pointed instrumentthrough the bore, the sealing element may be pierced, and a replaceablegas-tight closure cap for the nozzle.

3. A screw stopper for receptacles for the pack:

age of ether and like volatile substances, comprising in combination ascrewed neck, a correspondingly screwed closure cap therefor, a rigidsoft-metal sealing element in the form of a hollowcone arranged to beclamped gas-tightly by the cap through the intermediary of a clampingelement also of conical form on to a, conical seatingon the neck, theclamping element and sealing elementbeing separate entities from oneanother and also from the neck on the one hand and the cap on the other,a dispensing nozzle carried upon the clamping element and projectingtherefrom (when the parts of the stopper are in assembled position)through anopening in the crown of the cap, the bore of the nozzleextending also through the clamping'element so that by insertion of apointed instrument through the bore, the sealing element may be pierced,and a replaceable gas-tight closure cap for the nozzle incorporating asoft-metal washer to ensure the gas-tightness of the cap.

ISTANLEY HUTCHCROFI WILLIAMS.

